Assault of the Icy Wind
by ICPO
Summary: With Inuyasha and Kagome missing it's up to the rest of the group to find them, but with time alone can Miroku and Sango finally admit their love for each other? You'll just have to read and find out! InuKag MirSan This is my first fanfic so R&R please.
1. Chapter 1:Winds of Change

Well here it is my first fan fic. Like it? Hate it? Let your opinion be heard through the art or read and review!

' ' is used for emphasis

" " is used for speech

_Italics _is used to show thought

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and never will.**

**Chapter 1**

**The Winds of Change.**

It was the same as any other mid-summer afternoon in the feudal era of Japan if not slightly colder than a normal mid-July afternoon as a small band of travelers slowly made there way down the well beaten path, each lost in deep thought as to why they were traveling together. The answer was almost painfully obvious, to gather the shards of the sacred jewel.

The only thing that stood between them and that goal other then the hundreds of demons also looking for the shards was Naraku, who had caused pain and suffering beyond believe where ever he went, destroying entire villages and countless lives just to get his hands on a single shard. Of course that was the other thing that bound them together, they all had a claim on Naraku's head.

Miroku for the wind tunnel in his hand, Sango for the destruction of her entire village, Kagome for all the pain and suffering he has caused, and of course Inuyasha for the betrayal that led to him being bound to a tree for fifty years. They may have been a diverse group but it was their common goals that allowed them to look past their differences and function, if not awkwardly and tensely at times, as a group.

So lost were they in their thoughts they had hardly notice Kagome stop ahead of them until they had almost run into her. Miroku realized this just before colliding with her, and putting out a hand to stop Sango from doing the same he asked "What's wrong Kagome?" "Huh?" Inuyasha scoffed as he turned his head back in mild interest.

"I sense a jewel shard, and its getting closer." She said with mild concern in her voice.

"Feh, what are you worried about? It's not like there are any demons that can stand up to me and the Tetsusaiga" he gloated with an arrogant smile.

"So what about Sesshomaru?" Miroku questioned with an innocent smile.

"Shut it monk unless you want me to permanently remove that voice of yours. I could kill Sesshomaru anytime I wanted." Inuyasha growled, his temper beginning to flare.

_Here he goes again_ Kagome thought with an inward sigh.

"Of course you could Inuyasha, you just don't feel like wasting the precious energy it would take to do so." Miroku stated flatly as a maniacal grin danced across his face.

"Well, uh.. Hey wait a minute!" Inuyasha bellowed, not wanting to lose any ground to the monk. "Don't try and use any of that damn 'psychology' crap on me Miroku!"

Inuyasha growled, stalking his way closer to Miroku, his anger clearly visible.

"Why Inuyasha whatever do you mean?" Miroku said with another innocent smile.

Just as he had lunged towards the monk the two words he hated the most had encompassed him. "Sit boy" Kagome said with a sigh as Inuyasha met the ground yet again.

"He never learns, does he?" heaved Sango with a sigh. "Nope" Shippo said with disappointment and crossed arms as he slowly shook his head.

"What the hell was that for?" Inuyasha growled as he heaved himself to his feet and dusted himself off.

"To get your attention back to the jewel shard" Kagome said with another sigh. _He can be so dense sometimes_ she thought with another inward sigh.

"Oh, that" he growled with a slight blush, amazed that he had forgot about it. _Damn, how the hell did I forget about that?_ He said as a slight frown crossed his face.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she saw the frown on his face.

"Huh? Oh nothing, so where the hell is the jewel shard?" he said as his usual expression returned.

"I don't think you have to worry about that, its getting closer" she said as her hand went to the bow slung over her shoulder.

"Feh, looks like there making things easy for us, delivering the jewel shard and all" he said as another arrogant smile snuck onto his face. "Yes well, be that as it may it could be a trap, Inuyasha. Best be on our guard." Miroku stated with his usual reassuring calmness.

"Don't you think I know that monk? I'm not stupid enough to fall for something that obvious!" Inuyasha growled, his temper flaring once again. "Could have fouled me" Miroku said under his breath but Inuyasha's keen hearing still picked it up.

"What the hell did you say monk?" his temper almost to the breaking point. "Oh, nothing Inuyasha. Besides, you should ready yourself." But seeing the death glare in Inuyasha's eyes he hastily added "Not that you need to of course."

His usual calmness gone, he knew he had almost pushed Inuyasha over the edge and wasn't keen on a fight, especially not now when they would more then likely be needing his strength very soon.

Just as Inuyasha was about to retaliate a fierce wind picked up, seeming to come from the direction Kagome had indicated the jewel shard was in. It was no ordinary wind though for very soon it had increased ten fold and soon had swept them all of their feet and into the air. As Inuyasha was swept into the air he tried to keep an eye out for any sign of a demon but also follow his friends to try and make sure they didn't get themselves killed in this wind.

Soon though his eye caught sight of Kagome. _Damn, if anything happens to her I'll never be able to live with my self._ Without hesitation he tried to get her attention "KAGOME!" he yelled and the fact that she even heard him was surprising because of all the noise the wind was causing around them.

"INUYASHA, HELP!" she yelled in return. As he began to make his way towards her he called out to her with an outstretched arm. "KAGOME TAKE MY HAND!" he yelled, his face full of concern.

"INUYASHA I CAN'T REACH IT!" she yelled back, tears beginning to stream down her face. As he made his way closer he yelled again in the most soothing and reassuring voice he could. "YES YOU CAN!" and as she extend her hand towards his he managed to grab hold of it and pull her into a tight embrace.

"Don't worry Kagome everything will be fine" he whispered soothingly into her ear, trying to comfort her but all she could was weep into his haori. He wasn't going to let anything hurt her, no, he wasn't going to lose, he was going to protect her no matter what even if he died in the process if only she lived. "Don't worry Kagome" he started again "I won't let anything hurt you, Kagome I…" He couldn't exactly think how to put the words his heart had been dying to say for months.

"Kagome I…" he started again and decided to just say it before his resolve completely left him. "I love you Kagome." At those words Kagome managed to stifle her tears and look into his amber eyes. _No way, did he really just say that he loved me?_ "Inuyasha do you…do you really mean it?" she said no louder than a whisper but he heard her and gave a slight nod, his face going almost as red as his haori.

She couldn't believe it, she had always thought her love towards him had been one sided what with Kikyo and all. Though she still was in shock at Inuyasha's confession of love she managed to whisper "I love you to, Inuyasha" and with that he caught her lips with his in a passionate kiss before pulling her into a tighter embrace as a blinding white light blocked everything else out around him.

There finished, and with a decent cliff hanger to.

Sorry if its short but it seemed so much longer in my notebook and I even added.

Well now you've read so review. Flame or praise I don't care just let me know what you think.

I need those reviews so I know what to do in chapter two, don't worry though, I already have it in a notebook but want to know what you think of chapter one so chapter two can be even better.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed Chapter One of _Assault of the Icy Wind _


	2. Chapter 2:Aftermath

First I would like to thank those of you who have read & REVIEWED.

Second I have nothing nice to say to those of you who don't review.

As to those of you who did here are answers to your questions and remarks.

**Joyfulsoul: Hopefully I will be able to update every weekend but my dads on this 'anti-computer' thing so I can only type when he isn't home or at night. As for fluff, there will be more but as they always say things get worse before they get better so just stick with my on this.**

**Raging Inferno: Our English teachers say that? Hhmm, better start paying attention in that class but I'll give it a shot anyway. Thanks for the compliment and good luck with **_Dear Goddess_**thou from what I've read you don't need luck.**

**Disclaimer: Can't own Inuyasha, Don't own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter 2**

**Aftermath**

The gale seemed to have disappeared as quickly as it had come. Miroku found himself flat on his back in the middle of what he could only assume was the path they had been on. Somehow he had managed to keep a grip on his staff through the winds, how he did not know.

"Ugh, so that's what its like to be sucked up into my wind tunnel" he thought aloud as he rubbed his side and managed to haul himself to his feet, using his staff for support.

As he surveyed what was left of the area he couldn't spot any sign of the others. "No sign of anyone, I was lucky enough to survive so hopefully the others are alright" he said to himself as he tried to chase the grim thoughts that had been brought up from his mind. _If anything happened to her I… _he thought as he began to search the area that was now no more than dozens of uprooted tress and damaged earth.

It wasn't long before he spotted a small chestnut tail sticking from the ground. "Shippo" he called towards the tail but it made no movement. _Better dig him out then _he thought as knelt beside the tail and began to remove the earth from around it. It wasn't long before he had dug Shippo free and laid him on his back. "Shippo" he said soothingly as he gently shook the small kitsune. "Shippo, its time to wake up" he said as Shippo began to stir and moved into a sitting position.

"Huh? Miroku…" he yawned lazily as he rubbed his eyes. "Wait" he said nervously as he remembered the previous day. "Miroku where are the others?" he said as he too took in the devastation that lay in all directions as far as the eye could see.

"I don't know Shippo" he said as he stared into the eyes of the small kitsune before him. "Well then let's go find them" Shippo said enthusiastically as he hopped onto Miroku's shoulder.

"All right Shippo lets go then" he said as he began to make his way through the field.

For what seemed like hours they had been stumbling through that field yelling out the names of their friends. As he the sun began to set Miroku suddenly realized how long they had been searching and how weak his body and voice were beginning to feel. "Shippo" Miroku started hoarsely. "The sun's starting to set, we should make camp soon" he said trying to conceal the weakness in his own voice.

"Yeah, I guess but we can't just leave! What if the others are still out there and their hurt or…or" he stammered as tears began to fall.

"Now don't cry Shippo, I'm sure the others are fine, there's no need to worry." Miroku said soothingly, the weakness in his voice gone as he tried to comfort the small kitsune on his shoulder. _He may be a demon but he still is a child and besides Kagome is missing and she is like a mother to him. _He thought as he stared at Shippo.

With a small sniffle Shippo managed to squeak out a small "okay" as Miroku gently patted him on the back.

As they were about to head in the direction of some still standing trees a small noise meet their ears.

"Miroku" Shippo started as he wiped away the last of his tears. "Did you hear that?" he said with a slight hint of hope in his voice.

"Yes I did" Miroku said as he began to stumble towards the noise.

It wasn't long until there eyes meet those of a familiar two-tail. "Kirara!" Shippo yelled happily as he ran towards Kirara and patted her on the head as she purred.

"See Shippo" Miroku said as relief flooded his voice "I told you the others would be fine." He said as he to took a knee and patted Kirara on the head as well.

"Miroku look!" Shippo suddenly said as he caught sight of a long gash on the back of one of Kirara's legs. Miroku seemed to have noticed the injury as well as he had soon torn a long piece of his rob off and was already rapping it tightly around the wound.

Kirara winced in pain once or twice but never moved. "There, all done" he said as he hauled himself to his feet and dusted his hands off.

"Kirara where is Sango?" he said in a suddenly serious tone and at the sudden change in his demeanor Shippo could only stare at the now stern but worried face of the monk.

At the sudden change Kirara seemed temporarily taken back but then lightly nosed the ground.

"No, she couldn't mean…" he said more to himself but was soon on his knees, moving dirt and debris from the area Kirara had indicated.

His eyes soon meet the sight he had both hoped for and dreaded ever since he had woken and in an instance the thoughts he had tried to chase away earlier were soon returning in full force.

"No, she can't be" he said as tears began to form in his eyes.

At Miroku's sudden stop Shippo couldn't help but ask "What's wrong Miroku?" he asked nervously as he began to walk towards Miroku when he saw what was wrong.

"AAAHHH! SANGO!" he screamed as he jumped back.

"No…Sango…you can't be dead…" he began as a single tear fell from his eye and landed on Sango's check. "You just can't be…" but he was cut of in mid-sentence as Sango stirred slightly as the tear hit her cheek. "Sango?" he said as hope once again flooded him. Her only response was a groan of pain but it was enough, she was alive.

"Hurry Shippo help me dig her out"

Yet another cliff hanger, I don't know why they just seem to work for this story.

And as I sit here listening to Green Day's _Wake Me Up When September Ends _I can't help but wonder what I did right or wrong with this chapter so you guessed it… review away.


	3. Chapter 3:Unspoken Feelings

Alright, I know I haven't updated for about three weeks but I've been completely swamped between getting home at 6 p.m. and having totally filled weekends but next week I get my life back so you know what that means, with any luck I can post a chapter every week but in the mean time a special treat.

Since I haven't gotten a chapter up in three weeks here's three chapters!

**Naruto Sennin: Thanks! Hopefully I can live up to your expectations, and yeah I thought that part was a little ify but oh well.**

**Sango-Miroku-4ever: Yay for people who wake up at 4:50 in the morning and go on the computer! Sorry bout the cliff hangers but that's basically how every chapter ends. Sorry.**

**Miroku's pet vixen: Sorry I kept you sitting at your computer for about three weeks but like I said I've been swamped.**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately I still haven't gotten the copy right to Inuyasha so for now I don't own it.**

**Chapter 3**

**Unspoken Feelings**

Sango awoke to a sharp pain in her side. "Ugh, what happened?" She said, moving into a sitting position, rubbing her side, trying to recall the last day's events.

"Let's see" she mumbled to herself.

"We were walking along and then Kagome sensed a jewel shard and then… and then the wind picked up, but then what?" She said, twisting her face in concentration, trying to remember what happened next.

"Then" she said slowly "then I climbed on Kirara and… and then I was hit by that tree!" She said as she continued to rub her side.

"Wait, then what happened to the others?" She questioned to herself as her eyes darted around the small clearing she'd found herself in.

"I've got to find then!" She said worriedly as she went to stand but quickly fell back to the ground, her ankle throbbing painfully.

"Damn, I must've hit on the way down" she said as she remembered her fall from Kirara's back.

Just the she heard a rustle from the forest behind her that brought her back to her senses as she grabbed her katana, which she used to get to her feet and steady herself on her bad ankle. She quickly made her way for a large tree on the edge of the clearing and drew her sword.

Just as whatever it was passed her tree she quickly put the sword to its throat. "If you don't want to die, tell me who you are" she said in a calm, commanding voice.

"Well I see your feeling better Sango" said a familiar voice.

"Huh, Miroku? God don't sneak up on me like that!" She said as she re-sheathed her sword.

"It's nice to see your alright to" Miroku said with a slight hint of mischief on his face.

"Um, Miroku I… GET YOUR HAND OF MY BUTT YOU PERVERT!" She yelled as a resounding slap disturbed the otherwise quiet forest.

"I see your fine too Miroku" Sango said with a sigh "some things never change" she added in an undertone.

"It's been far too long Sango" he said with a wide smile as he rubbed the blazing imprint of Sango's hand on his cheek seeming not to have noticed her last comment.

"You just don't learn do you Miroku?" Shippo questioned as he entered the clearing and saw the imprint of a hand on Miroku's face.

"Good to see you're up Sango, are you feeling better?" Shippo asked joyfully as he ran over to Sango.

"Yes Shippo, I'm feeling fine." She said as she sat down, allowing her ankle to rest. "Where are the others?" she asked with concern as Miroku sat down across from her.

"Well Kirara is still searching the debris field and as for Inuyasha and Kagome…" he trailed off as he looked off to the sky in the distance.

"Miroku, what happened to Inuyasha and Kagome?" She said seriously as she stared intently at Miroku who was still off at the sky.

"Honestly, we have no idea, they seemed to have just vanished" he said quietly as his eyes met Sango's.

"I see" she said in the same quiet voice as Miroku had.

"The only thing we've managed to find in the surrounding area was Kagome's pack and bike just north of the debris field" he said, his eyes still interlocked with Sango's.

"So, we don't know what happened, okay, so there's still a chance they're alive" she said as her eyes took on a new spark of hope.

"I suppose, we haven't found anything to say they aren't alive in the past three days although…" but he was abruptly cut off by Sango.

"Wait a minute, I've been out for three days?" She yelled in surprise.

"Yes, I was starting to worry you wouldn't wake" he said quietly as a small blush passed over his face.

"Yeah, and whys that?" Sango asked playful as a smile crossed her face.

"I, well, uh… can't I be worried?" Miroku asked slightly taken back by Sango's question.

"Yeah, sure" she said playfully. And for several quiet minutes they sat there, considering what the other had said.

"Sango, there's something I…" Miroku said but was abruptly cut off by a mighty roar that emanated from the direction of the field.

"That must be Kirara, she must have found something!" Shippo yelled excitedly as he jumped up and ran towards the debris field.

"Well are you just going to sit there?" Sango asked sarcastically as she got to her feet and balanced on a near by tree so she wouldn't fall to the ground.

"Ugh, right" Miroku said as he got up and walked over to Sango.

"You know Sango, you should really recover more of your strength" he said in a concerned voice.

"Hmph, I'm fine" she said as she began to walk away but quickly fell back into Miroku.

"Fine, huh?" he asked sarcastically as he gave her a questioning glance.

"Yeah fine" she said irritably as she pushed herself out of Miroku's arms and back to her feet but quickly fell back into his arms.

"Sango, you and I both know you aren't 'fine,' you need more rest." He said as gently took Sango down with him into a sitting position.

"Uh, Miroku, what are you doing?" Sango asked in a slightly surprised voice.

"Since you won't listen to me, I'll make you. Sango, you can't walk, you need to rest more" Miroku said sternly.

"Okay, maybe I can't walk but one way or another I'm going and you can't stop me!" She yelled as she kicked herself free from Miroku's embrace.

"Besides, what the hell do you care!" She spat at him. "You flirt with anything on two legs! You don't care how anyone feels… how I feel" she added as she cast her eyes at the ground and a single tear made its way down her check.

"Sango I…" Miroku tried to say as he moved to wipe the tear from her eye. "I don't want to hear it Miroku, I just don't want to hear it right now." She said in an weary tone as she pushed his hand away and wipe her check.

"Okay then" Miroku said emotionlessly as he walked over and picked up Sango.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Sango screamed at him.

"I'm carrying you since your to stubborn to rest and obviously can't walk" he said in the same emotionless tone but his face clearly portrayed pain.

"Oh, thanks" Sango said in an undertone voice.

Miroku's only answer was a scoff as he continued to walk in the direction of the debris field and so they spent the rest of the walk in silence. They both knew what they wanted to say to the other but hadn't dared for months and certainly didn't dare now when things seemed so uncertain. _I Love You._

There, a nice long chapter to read and one of being wanting to write since I started this story.

So, let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4:Destruction

True to my word here is the second of my next three chapters! I'm still kicking myself for not updating in three weeks and keeping you guys and girls in suspense but it couldn't be helped so instead here is another chapter!

**Review Shout Outs**

**Sango-Miroku-4ever: Yeah it was sad but that's how I wanted it. Like they say things get worse before they get better and that was as bad as it gets. Don't worry though, like I said that's one of the low points but you'll just have to read on to see the high ones!**

**Iloveinuyasha44: After that first chapter they don't come into the story for a while and that's all I'll say so I don't ruin anything for you!**

**Disclaimer: Getting sick of these declaimers but don't want to get sued so I don't own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter 4**

**Destruction**

"So where have you two been?" Shippo asked as Miroku and Sango entered the clearing, Miroku still carrying Sango.

"Just talking" Miroku said shortly as he walked over to Kirara and set Sango on her feet, helping her to regain her balance before releasing her.

"Thanks" she said as she concentrated on rubbing Kirara's head affectionately, completely ignoring Miroku. "Welcome" he scoffed shortly over his shoulder as he walked over to Shippo.

"So what really happened?" Shippo whispered as Miroku leaned against a tree near him. "Nothing, absolutely nothing" he said sadly as he looked away towards Sango and a familiar hurt spread across his fate. "Uh, right" Shippo said awkwardly as he caught sight of the pain in Miroku's eyes and decided not to pry further.

"What is it Kirara?" Sango asked affectionately after Miroku had left. Kirara's only response was a series of low growls.

"What's up?" Shippo asked as he came bounding over and hopped onto Sango's shoulder with Miroku close behind.

"I think she's picked up Kagome's scent" as she continued to rub Kirara's head and ignore Miroku, the memory of their argument in the woods all to fresh to face him yet.

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's go find them!" Shippo exclaimed as he jumped off Sango's shoulder to regard the others.

"I believe Shippo is right, we've spent enough time searching the debris as is, who knows what may have befallen them by now." Miroku said as his voice took on a sort of gravity.

"Well then" Sango said as she hoisted herself onto Kirara's back "If you two are ready let's go." "Yeah!" Shippo shouted excitedly as he jumped easily onto Kirara's back.

"Agreed" Miroku said, seeming to have regained his normal demeanor, as he to hoisted himself up in turn.

"All right, let's go Kirara!" Sango yelled as Kirara kicked of in to the air and began to follow Kagome's scent.

After they had been flying for what seemed like hours and Miroku's hands and face had gone numb Kirara took a sudden dive and landed lightly in a small clearing.

"What's wrong Kirara?" Sango asked as she and the other slid off Kirara's back. Her only response was a series of hisses before transforming into her normal form and jumping lightly onto Sango's shoulder as she clasped her hand firmly around the handle of her Hiraikotsu.

"So, you sensed the demonic aura as well?" Miroku asked as he noticed Sango tighten her grip on the weapon. "Yes, but it's so powerful" she said in a concerned tone.

"Yes, it certainly is" Miroku said as he tightened his grip on the staff he always carried with him. "Well if nothing else we must be going in the right direction but… but there's something I don't like about this place" he said as he glanced around nervously.

"Yeah and it's not the demonic aura" Sango said as she too looked around as a shiver ran down her back. "Well come on then, let's get going" she said as she began to walk down a beaten path that ran through the clearing.

"Yes, that seems the most logical course of action" Miroku said as he too began down the path.

"Yeah, this place gives me the creeps" Shippo said nervously as he looked around him and then down the path just in time to see Miroku rounding the first bend. "Hey don't leave me!" Shippo yelled as he ran as fast as he could after the disappearing tail of Miroku's robe.

"Ugh" Shippo groaned as he was knocked down by something in the path. "What was that?" he groaned as he got to his feet and rubbed the bump that was now forming on his head.

"Huh, what's wrong Miroku?" He asked as he noticed that it was Miroku's legs he had run into. "Shippo, take a look" he said gravely as he motioned Shippo around him.

"Umm, okay" Shippo said nervously as he moved around Miroku's legs and jumped back at what he saw with a small gasp. Before Shippo was what looked much like the debris field they had left only hours ago only this time it wasn't just a desolate field that had been destroyed, it was an entire village.

"Come on, we should look for any survivors but" but he paused as he looked at the destruction before him "I don't think we'll find any."

"We should start looking now before the sun sets, it will make looking through the entire village easier" Sango said gravely as she looked at the vast expanse of destruction before her.

"Right, with any luck we can find a decent shovel or two, this place reeks of dead men" he said gravely as he lightly sniffed the air, he didn't need Inuyasha's acute sense of smell to catch a wif of the decomposing corpses around them.

"Right, let's get going then" Sango said as she began to head deeper into the village.

Every where they looked their eyes meet only death and despair until one glimmer of hope shone through. They had searched through almost the entire village and were almost to edge when they heard a weak call out to the.

"Please…help" it called weakly from the remains of a nearby house and when they investigated they found a pair of pale blue eyes staring back at them from beneath a pile of debris.

It seemed to be a girl of around 15 who was only barley retaining consciousness. "Please…help me" she called out again weakly before losing consciousness.

"Come on, we've got to get her out of there!" Sango exclaimed as she began to dig through the debris.

"Right" the others two said as they began to rip through the pile as well.

After about ten minutes of work they had managed to free the girl and were soon carrying her carefully back towards the edge of the village. After addressing and tending her wound that were only a few scratches and a nasty a bump to the head Miroku headed back into the village and finished blessing the last of the graves just as the sun began to set.

"So how is she?" he asked with concern as he entered the camp they had made at the edge of the village.

"Well her breathing is more relaxed but she still hasn't woken up" Sango said with relief as she finished putting a damp clothe to the young girls forehead before reclining back against a tree.

"Good" he said as he leaned against a tree as well "hopefully she can tell us what happened here."

Yay! Another chapter done! I was kind of disappointed at the lack of reviews for the last chapter. Please people do I have to beg, review if you read!

Oh well, till next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5:Lone Survivor

Here's the final of my three redemption chapters! phew finally! Just to finish up my redemption this chapter is the longest yet so enjoy! I've almost finished writing the rough draft of the story so hopefully I can have all the chapters up by New Years but I'll try to have them up before then.

**Review Shout Outs**

**Sango-Miroku-4ever: First I'd like to say thank you for being one of the only two people that have read and reviewed constantly! Second, thanks I'll try to make all the chapters at least 'nice' if not better.**

**Iloveinuyasha44: First I'd like to also thank you for being the other person that has constantly read and reviewed! Second, I did things like that because I really didn't want to try and tackle Kagome and Inuyasha yet.**

**A question to the reviewers: How am I doing with Miroku and Sango so far? Are they in or out of character and if they are why?**

**Disclaimer: They still won't give me that copyright so I _still_ don't own Inuyasha!**

**Chapter 5**

**Lone Survivor **

It was late morning when she awoke the next day. _Maybe it was all just a dream a really bad dream_ she thought sleepily as she snuggled into a tight ball under her sheets.

Just then a searing pain in her head caused her to sit bolt upright. "OW! GOD DAMN IT!" She spat as she clenched her head in agony. _Guess it wasn't a dream_ she thought between bouts of swearing.

After about 10 minutes of almost solid swearing the pain in her head receded to a mildly annoying throbbing. "God damn it" she sighed as she laid back down. "What the hell happened to me?" She questioned herself as she lightly closed her eyes and began to rub the bridge of her nose as she searched through her memory for the events of the previous day.

"Sango, Miroku she's awake!" yelled a small voice, quickly dragging herself from her thoughts. "What the?" she exclaimed in surprise as she sat bolt upright yet again. She couldn't see anyone but she knew she hadn't imagined the voice despite the throbbing in her head she was thinking strait and not imagining things.

Just then the sound of approaching footsteps caused her to reach instinctively for her waist. "Shit" she cursed to herself as she realized what she had been groping for wasn't there.

Just then a small child appeared from around a tree and bounded towards her, hitting her square in the chest. "What the?" she managed to exclaim before being knocked back to the ground.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she asked the young boy who was now perched on top of her. "Oh, sorry" the young boy said slightly embarrassed as he got off and helped her to a sitting position.

"I'm Shippo, sorry I knocked you over, I was just excited to see you were finally up" he said quietly as a blushed crept across his face.

"It's okay, just try not to make a habit of it, okay?" She said.

"Uh right" Shippo said nervously as he turned a deep shade of crimson. "Well you know who I am so what's your name?"

_I don't even know this kid but whatever, it's not like I have anything to lose, and besides he seems nice… for a demon, it's not like I have anything to lose… not now any way _she thought solemnly before giving her reply. "I'm Kasey" she said proudly as she jabbed her thumb to her chest.

"Okay Kasey, you wait here while I get the others" Shippo said as began to run back to the edge of the clearing.

"Wait, what others?" she called out after him but all he did was wave and continue until he was out of sight.

_Well at least I know I'm not losing it _she thought as she closed her eyes and began to rub the bridge of her nose again, a little habit she'd picked up from her father.

Before to much time had elapsed she heard the sound of approaching footsteps once again. _What now?_ She questioned her self as she let go of her nose and opened her eyes to see exactly what now.

When she opened her eyes the first thing she saw was a man dressed in purple robes staring intently at her. "Ah, you're awake, good" the man said more to himself then her. From his clothing and staff she could only guess that he was some man of religion, though which she wasn't quite sure. She never really had paid much attention to religion.

"So how are you feeling?" asked the other person as she leaned in. "Uh, fine" Kasey said nervously as she thought with a slight frown _who the hell is this women and what's with that boomerang? _

"What's wrong" the man asked noticing the small frown. "Huh? Oh nothing it's just… who are you people?" she asked quietly as she gave the group an inquisitive look.

"Oh of course, how rude of us, I'm Miroku" he said as he made a sweeping gesture with his hand. "This is Sango" he said with the same sweeping gesture as Sango gave her a smile which she returned hesitantly. "This is Kirara" he said as he made the same sweeping gesture to the small cat by Sango's feet who purred softly in response. "And I believe you've meet Shippo already" he said as he jerked his head back slightly over his shoulder.

"Yeah we've run into each other before" she said as she gently rubbed the spot on her chest where they had 'run into each other.'

"Uh, yeah" Shippo chuckled wryly as he turned crimson and stared at the ground.

"Oh, duh!" Kasey exclaimed as she gave herself a little tap upside the head. "I guess you should all know my name, I'm Kasey" she said proudly and jammed her own thumb to her chest.

"Yes, Shippo told us your name" he sighed with a slight hint of pity in his tone. "What's wrong?" she asked with concern as she picked up on the pity in his voice.

"Well it's just that, I don't really know how to say this but… it appears you're the only one left alive from the village" he finished off sadly as he gazed into the young girl's eyes.

"Yeah, I kind of figured…" she trailed off sadly before quickly putting on a fake smile. "Things happen" she shrugged but she could feel the tears welling up behind her eyes. It had been eight years since she had really let herself cry. Eight long years since she had lost everything and really let her self cry and she wasen't about to cry now, espicialy not in front of a group of virtual strangers.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked as she knelt down beside the girl and put a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Nothing" she stated plainly as she wriggled out from under Sango's arm and lightly dabbed at her eyes "just something in my eye."

"So anyway…" Kasey said hurriedly, eager to change the subject "what are you all doing out here in the middle of no where, we don't get many travelers this far north."

"Ah, well we were searching for some friends of ours and think the destruction of you village might have something to do with them" he said intently.

"So you don't think the destruction of the village was an act of nature?" she asked as she gazed at the monk. "Well right now we're not really sure but think it might have been the work of a demon" he said gravely. "Hmm, I see, well that would explain it" she said as she leaned back and tossed an unseeing stare to the sky, lost in her own thoughts.

After letting her mull over the new information for a few minutes Miroku saw his chance to act. "Kasey we were wondering if… if you could tell us what happened here!" he blurted out as a familiar boomerang connected with the back of his head sending him strait to the ground.

"Miroku!" Sango exclaimed in surprise as she heaved her hiraikotsu back over her shoulder. "What!" Miroku asked as he heaved himself back to his feet and dusted himself off.

"At least give her time to rest before you ask her something like that!" Sango yelled worriedly as Miroku finished dusting himself off. "It was just a simple question" he said flatly "and did you have to hit me so hard?" he questioned pleadingly as he rubbed the back of his head where a large bump was starting to form.

"Well maybe if you behaved yourself I wouldn't have to" she said under her breath. "Now Sango is that really…" but Kasey effectively cut him off by holding up her hand for silence.

"You want to know what happened? Fine, I'll tell you, I don't mind" she said sadly as she gave a small shrug of her shoulders. "It was just another day, same as any other. I'd just left the village to take a walk in the woods, that's probably why I'm still alive" she said with a sad little smirk.

"I'd only just gotten out of sight of the village when I heard screams coming from the village so I ran back as fast as I could" she said sadly as she reflected on just another one of the unfortunate turns her life had taken.

"When I got back to the outskirts of the village I saw a huge twister of wind going strait through the village and I…and I just stood there. I couldn't move, all I could do was watch as everyone was sucked into the vortex and eventually it got to me and then everything went black. Next thing I knew I was here." She finished sadly.

"I see" Miroku mumbled to himself after being quiet through the story. "Do you happen to know which way the wind was heading?" Miroku asked as he shook himself from thought and locked eyes with the young girl.

"Hmmm… I think it might have been heading north. I'm not completely sure but that's where it looked like it was heading." She said unsurely.

"I see… Okay" Miroku said resolutely as he pounded his fist to his hand.

"What?" both Sango and Kasey asked in unison. "Isn't it obvious?" Miroku asked a bit surprised. "Were heading north, tonight."

"What?" Sango asked slightly surprised "And just leave Kasey here after she's barley woken up?"

"No, of course not" Miroku retorted in a slightly offend tone "We'll leave Shippo to look after her."

"Okay…wait…what?" Shippo asked nervously "I want to help save Inuyasha and Kagome to!" he cried in rebellion.

"Now Shippo, someone has to look after her. You wouldn't want to leave her alone, now would you?" Miroku asked slyly.

"Well no but…" Shippo trailed of nervously, he knew where this was going, and he didn't like it.

"Well I can't do it, you know Sango wouldn't let me" Miroku continued slyly. "Yeah" Shippo said nervously.

"Kirara can't do it because we need her sense of smell and Sango can't do it because she's the only one that really understands Kirara. So, who does that leave?" Miroku questioned arrogantly.

"Me" Shippo gulped as he pointed to himself. "Exactly" Miroku said confidently.

_This has gone on long enough_ she thought with an inward sigh as she cleared her throat to get the others attention.

"Hm, Kasey, your standing!" Miroku exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah but that doesn't matter" she said seriously. "Kasey you should really get some more rest" Sango said worriedly.

"Thanks but I'm fine, besides I have something important to say" She said in the same serious tone. "Okay, go ahead" Miroku said calmly.

"This whole time no ones asked me what I want" she sighed in disappointment. "Okay, so what do you want?" Miroku asked calmly.

"I'm going with you whether you like it or not!"

There's Chapter 5, so what do you think? You guys know the drill by now, you read it so please review it.

I just have one question though. What did you think of my new character? And on a side note just to let everyone know Kasey means vigilante in Japanese. Just thought you guys might like to know that.


	6. Chapter 6:Duel

Due to certain 'personal' issues in my life at this time I may not get as many chapters as I want. It this time these 'personal' issues piss me off enough that feel like doing nothing for ours on end. Oh well I'm probably boring you with my personal life so here's the next chapter!

**Review Shout Outs**

**Sango-Miroku-4ever: I know it's a little late but I'm sorry you're sick. Might be a little late but I hope you get well soon.**

**ladybug1115: You didn't but better late the never!**

**MirokuIsASexyMonkXD: Thanks, I intend to.**

**Disclaimer: Still pissed right now so I just don't own Inuyasha.**

**Chapter 6**

**Duel**

"No, I simply can not allow you to accompany us" Miroku said flatly as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But why? I can't always allow others to fight my battles now can I?" Kasey replied with a small pout.

"Well for one thing we might not always be able to protect you and…" but he was cut of mid-sentence by an angry cry from Kasey. "Now stop right there! I'm more than capable of protecting myself thank you!" she cried with indignity.

"Be that as it may we won't be fighting village bullies or woodland creatures. We'll be dealing with very powerful demons. I don't think you're capable of defending yourself against that" Miroku said calmly as he began to rub the bridge of his nose in slight annoyance.

"OH YEAH! WELL THEN JUST WAIT HERE!" Kasey cried angrily as she stormed off into the village.

"Where do you think she's going?" Shippo pondered aloud in concern.

"Don't you think you might have been a little ruff on her Miroku?" Sango asked as she watched Kasey's back until she rounded a corner.

"Trust me Sango, I took no joy in that but you know as well as I do that there is no way we could take her with us" He stated flatly but his eyes betrayed him. A hint of remorse could be seen if you stared into those purple-black eyes. He couldn't help feeling sorry, even if she was able to act happy it was all a facade. She'd lost everything she'd known in less than a day.

Only the sounds of approaching footsteps were able to shake him from his thoughts. As he glanced up he caught sight of Kasey clutching something in a tarp.

"I'll show just how 'capable' of defending myself I am!" she cried as she ripped off the tarp to reveal a long sword encased in a black sheath with a black and silver hilt.

"What?" Miroku managed to spit out in his lightly shocked state. "I told you, I'm going to show you just how capable I really am!" she cried again as she ripped the sword from the sheath, tossing the sheath to her side.

"Wait a minute Kasey we don't have to do this!" Miroku cried in distress as he threw his arms out in protest.

"To late monk! Get ready to defend yourself!" she cried once more as she lunged forward before leaping into the air and brining the sword down towards Miroku.

Fortunately for Miroku he was able to bring his staff horizontally over his head at the last minute and block the attack.

"You're pretty good monk!" Kasey cried in praise as she leapt back "but let's see you block this!" she screamed before lunging forward again. This time she chose to bring the sword across horizontally but again Miroku was able to block the attack at the last moment.

_Damn she's strong _Miroku thought as a bead of sweat slowly made its way down his cheek. _And fast! _he barley had time to think as she began to bring blow upon blow in his direction in quick secession.

In his hast to go in the opposite direction of the silver blade Miroku stumbled over a small pile of debris and was sent crashing to the ground.

As he reached to rub the back of his head where a large bump was forming he felt an icy prick against his neck. Opening his eyes slowly the first thing he saw was the shining tip of a blade and as his eyes opened more the whole seen opened onto him.

Standing over him was Kasey with a large smirk on her face and her blade pinned firmly to his throat. To his left Shippo and Sango were fighting hard to keep back the laughter that was welling inside them.

After shooting them both a dirty look he returned his attention back to Kasey. "Well? Still think I'm not capable?" she questioned arrogantly. "No, I'd say you're rather capable" Miroku replied calmly as he tried to push the blade away to no avail.

"So, can I go with you?" she said with a small pout, careful not to allow her grip on the blade to slacken. "I'm sorry but I simply can't allow you to come" Miroku replied flatly as he stared blankly into the young girls eyes.

"But, but why?" she stammered as she began to lose control. "Because it's far to dangerous, even if you are a decent fighter" he said as he continued to hold his blank stare with Kasey.

"Fine the" Kasey pouted as she regained her composure "we can just stay like this until you change your mind."

And so they sat there in silence no one daring to do so much as breath out of fear the girl they had just meet might snap. After hours of no one so much as moving Miroku made up his mind as the sun began to set behind him.

"All right, you can come" he said in a resigned tone as the blade was finally removed from his neck.

"Really?" Kasey questioned in disbelief "you mean it?" "Yes" Miroku said in a somewhat distant voice as he chose to inspect the small pin prick on his neck.

"Trust me, you won't be sorry!" as she helped Miroku to his feet, doing all she could to contain her joy. "Yes, well, it defiantly isn't your resolve that would be in question" Miroku said good naturedly as he pointed to his neck.

"Yeah, sorry about that" Kasey replied as she turned a light shade of crimson "so when do we leave?" "Well…" Miroku trailed off in thought "I suppose tomorrow morning so anything you have left to do around here you better get done now."

"Right" Kasey affirmed as she ran to retrieve her sheath "come on Shippo!" she called behind her as she ran towards the village.

"Okay!" Shippo called back as he bound off after her.

"Miroku, can I talk to you?" Sango asked quietly as she came to stand beside him. "Of course Sango, you don't mind if we sit do you?" Miroku said as he made for the nearest log.

"I'd have thought the last thing you'd want to do now was sit" Sango giggled with a playful smile. "Yes well, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Miroku replied quickly.

"Oh right, well do you really think it was the best idea to let Kasey come?" Sango questioned slowly as a small frown spread across her face. "I know Sango but we must respect her wishes" Miroku said thoughtfully as he recalled the past few hours.

"Yeah…but still…do you think she's capable under real circumstances?" Sango asked slowly as she struggled to put her fingers on the right words to say.

"I suppose that's something we won't be able to tell until it happens. Till then don't worry about it, she's a strong girl. I think even in the worst circumstances she'd find a way to pull through." He said calmly as he rapped his arm around Sango reassuringly.

"Okay" she replied softly as she nuzzled into Miroku's chest.

So what'd ya think? Was it to sappy at the end or just right?

On another note like I said earlier I had hoped to have the story up by Christmas but that doesn't look plausible at this point. Don't give up on me though because I'm focusing most of my free time into that so just be patient with me for now, okay?


	7. Chapter 7:Breaking Camp

All right, personal life has been sorted out. I know what you're all thinking, "Why do I care? He's been a dirtbag and not updated in months!" If that's the case, you're absolutely right but after late nights for the past three months I didn't really have time. Now, on the other hand, I do. Enough of this mindless babble though, on with the story!

Review Shout-outs 

**Sango-Miroku-4ever: Yeah figured it might be, hope this chapter isn't to late for ya though. I kinda know it is, but still…**

**i-luv-the-cat-sohma52: Honestly, no, I have no idea what you're talking about.**

**Chapter 7**

Breaking Camp 

It must have been five in the morning, the very crack of dawn, just as the sun was drenching the world in its soft pink light. Already though the small camp that had been set up on the outskirts of the village was beginning to show signs of life.

"Hmph, dawn already?" the monk yawned to himself as he pushed himself off the ground. "Well I better see what I can find around here to eat, the others will be wanting something before we leave" he sighed as he walked slowly into the village.

It was much the same as it had been the day before, ruined and somber. The site had been so depressing that Miroku thought even the drunkest of men would have sobered up at the mere sight of it however. Now though it was more inviting, perhaps because the smell of death had finally been carried away on the four winds or maybe, because everything seemed much more welcoming and upbeat when shown in the morning light.

Already there were signs that life would carry on, not human life of course, but life in general. Small stalks were beginning to poke through the layer of dirt and death, winding there way through the rubble.

At any rate the first course of action was to try and find a pot, or something like a pot. It was a rather easy find, just inside the village was a large black kettle sitting, upside down, in the middle of the street. It wasn't incredibly large, so Miroku hoisted it easily from the ground and swung it over his shoulder. He may not be an Inuyasha, but he could still manage a pot.

"All right, got the pot, now I just need something to put in it…" he trailed off as he began to search every nook and cranny of the village for anything that looked edible. Whenever he did manage to find something he'd lower the kettle, inspect whatever it was, and then toss it in.

Only through an exhausting effort and what seemed like hours was he able to find a carrot, two potatoes, a handful of rice, and an onion. This was all that was left in the village, either the rest of it had been scattered by the wind or pulverized by the debris that came after. So after collecting all of his 'ingredients' he set off towards a small stream that ran through the east part of town.

They had seen it the day before when they were searching the town, and later used it clean Kasey's wounds. It was a small stream that wound its way down from the mountains to the north, crisp and pure, a sharp contrast to the destruction that had been wrought less then a mile away. But even there the destruction was evident, trees ripped from the ground. Even those trees that had managed to keep themselves in the ground still bore the signs, limbs ripped from their trunks and thrown to the ground, and trunks bent westward from the gale. Bits of the town had even made it out this far, chunks of reed mats now helped to make up the canopy as bits of tile now mixed with the rocks and pebbles.

Miroku set down the pot slowly on the small bank, taking his time to reach to kneel down lightly in the soft dirt. He slowly began to reach into the pot and pull the first vegetable from it. He knelt in silence as he slowly washed the dirt from the vegetables before throwing them back into the pot.

After he had cleaned the last of the vegetables, a potato, he sunk to all fours and gazed sadly at his own reflection on the water. "Why?" he asked himself "Why must all these people suffer and die?"

With a full pot of water he set off back towards camp, being careful not to spill a drop. Having already cleaned the vegetables he set the pot down and began cutting them with a small knife he had found near the potato, or maybe the carrot, he couldn't remember. After dicing the last vegetables, the carrot he threw the thin slices into the pot. He then placed this on top of the small fire that had been made the night before and allowed them to cook. The fire, having gone out the night before, needed new kindling. This wasn't a difficult task considering all the branched and twigs that now scattered the forest floor.

After a few failed attempts Miroku managed to produce a flame with a small click from Kagome's magic fire starter, something she called a 'light her' or something like that, which he promptly touched to the kindling before the flame disappeared back into it's mysterious silver container.

With the fire born anew and breakfast on he went about the task of waking the others, starting with Sango. For a few moments he merely hovered over her sleeping form. _Someday Sango, when there's no more fighting_ he thought to himself _and no one else need die, then I'll confess…I'll confess my love for you_. He started a few more moments at his sleeping love until she began to stir. "Come on Sango" he whispered gently into her ear "Time to get moving."

As time ticked away and with no response forthcoming, he tried again. "Come on Sango" he whispered again as he began to gently shake her "It's time to get up." "All right" she yawned as she shook him off and pushed herself up. "You get Kasey and I'll get Shippo?" the monk asked once the demon slayer had forced herself into a sitting position. "Yeah, allright" she said sleepily before pushing herself, unsteadily so, to her feet.

"You okay Sango?" Miroku asked her, noticing her unusual unsteadiness. "Yeah, I'm just a little tired, that's all" she replied kindly before rubbing the sleep from her eyes and setting of towards Kasey. "Okay" he replied before adding under his breath a disgruntled "Women." Miroku stared after her for a few moments more before moving to rouse Shippo from his slumber.

"Come on Shippo, time to get up" he whispered after reaching the small tree that Shippo had slept at the base of. "Just five more minutes" Shippo replied sleepily before rolling over, his back to Miroku. "No Shippo, it's time to get up now" Miroku started a bit more forcefully as he began to shake Shippo.

"All right…I said all right already!" Shippo squawked as he swatted away Miroku's hand. "Well come on then" Miroku said happily as he beckoned Shippo towards the pot of boiling vegetables. When they reached it they found that Sango and Kasey had already helped themselves. Sango was finished with her helping, while Kasey was half asleep in hers.

"Morning" Shippo grumbled as he flicked rubbed off sleep from his hand. "Morning Shippo" Kasey replied groggily with a half-hearted wave. "Eat up Shippo" Miroku said as he handed Shippo a full bowl and a pair of chopsticks before ladling out some for himself.

By the time Miroku had finished his own helping the sun already hung high on the eastern horizon, wrapping the world in its warm embrace. Shippo was still plodding through the last of his vegetables while Kasey had finally finished her own, and was now half asleep where she sat.

"It's getting late…we should probably get moving" Miroku sighed as he gazed towards the steadily rising sun. "That means you two" He dropped his gaze to Shippo and Kasey. Kasey perked her head up slightly before allowing it to fall back to it's resting place. Shippo merely pretended to have not heard him as he stabbed a slice of carrot.

"Children can be so stubborn when they want to" Sango said as she and Kirara joined Miroku "But they do sort of remind me of myself, back when I was their age."

"I wouldn't know" Miroku sighed in reply "Life with Mushin was really strict, either I obeyed him or I'd get a long-winded speech about how I would be dishonoring my ancestors if I did not become a monk and carry on the family line…and curse." Miroku began to chuckle to himself "I suppose I never really had what you could call a normal childhood, I was in training since the day I was born!"

"I suppose neither of us had very normal childhoods, you a monk and I a demon slayer" Sango began to chuckle along with Miroku. "Speaking of childhood Sango, have you ever considered bearing children?" Miroku questioned her slyly. "Maybe eventually, I have to find the right man first…" _Yes! I've caught her in a good mood, and I haven't even gotten slapped yet! _Miroku thought eagerly to himself.

"Hey wait a minute! You lecherous monk!" Sango shouted as she slapped him hard across the face sending him spiraling off his seat. "I swear Miroku, you'll never change!" she huffed as she stormed of to sit between Shippo and Kasey, who inched carefully away from her.

"I spoke to soon" he sighed as pushed himself to his feet and began rubbing his now swollen cheek. "What was that!" Sango shouted at him.

"Nothing, I just said 'I'm ready to go, how about you?'"

You know that old expression a day late and a dollar short? Well that's what this is, only it didn't cost me a penny and took more like a hundred days.

Oh well, can't be helped. It's here now though so enjoy and I also recommend readying my other story _Massacre At Malmedy_. So far this is my best chapter, so let me know what you think.

Till next time, which hopefully won't be months, I'm out.


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